Braiding machine



Sept. 3, 1929- s, w BOURN 1,727,096

BRAIDING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 21. 1927 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRAIDING v MACHINE.

Application filed December 21, 1827, Serial No. 241,604. Renewed June14, 1929.

'This invention relates to a machine for.

twisting together a plurality of wires and braiding a covering ontothese twisted wires adjacent their point of twisting; and the object ofthis invention is to provide a vertically disposed rotatablewire-conductin tube having means for supporting a plura ity ofwire-carrying packages, arrangements being made for feeding the wire andguiding it from the packages through openings in the tube to theinterior thereof and for rotating the tube and drivingthe braidingmechanism to twist the wires together and then braid the covering uponthe twisted portion in a continuous operation.

A further object of the invention is the connecting of the driving meansof the braiding mechanism and the tube driving mechanism together sothat they are run in time with each other to start and stopsimultaneously.

A further object of the invention is the provision of simple andefi'ective means for leading a third wire into the tube to be twistedtogether With the other wires over which twisted wires the covering isbraided as fed up through the braiding mechanism.

The invention further consists in the conductingof the covered wire downthrough a parafiine tank and subsequently winding predetermined lengthsof the covered wire onto a reel.

With these and other objects'in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. ,In the accompanyingdrawings:

Figure l'is a side elevation of my improved machine,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the power drive of the machineshowing the drives for the wire-twisting mechanism and the braidingmechanism as connected together. 7

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the'three wires asbeing led into the tube through the side Walls thereof and up throughits lower end all to be twisted together by rotating the tube.

Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation showing the heated parafiine tankthrough which the covered Wire is led.

F igure 5 is a small section of the tube drive gear showing a pair ofwire guide through the braidin the hub portion of which is tapered andone of the heads as bein removed to permit mounting of the wire 0011 onthe end of this tapered portion.

' Figure 7 is a portion of a sheave showing two turns of the coveredwire in the groove thereof;

It is found in a braiding machine ofthis character in which wires aretwisted together and then a covering of braided material is laid ontothe twisted wires as fed up mechanism all in a single machine, of avantage to provide a frame in which is supported the vertically disposedwire twisting tube, to arrange a cross bar through the tube on which aresupported the wire reels; also to provide openings in the side walls ofthe tube throu h which the wires are led from the reels into the tube;also to provide means for rotating the tube to twist the wires there inand to'support braiding means on the frame above the wire supply andtwisting mechanism, whereby the braided covering is laid' upon thetwisted wires at a point betwen, the end of the tube and the take-offprior to being led to thevv braiding point;

also it is found of advantage to provide a parafline tank adjacent thebraiding machine through which the covered wire is passed and also tomount and drive a reel on-which predetermined lengths of the coveredWire is wound, means being also provided in some instances for arrestingthe rotation of the machine when a pre etermined length of covered wirehas beenwound upon-the reel; and the following is a detailed descriptionof the present embodiment of my invention and showing one means by whichthese advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the frame of the machinewhich may be made in any suitable form and in this frame is rotatablymounted the vertically-disposed wire twisting and guide tube 11 which issupported at its lower end 12 on the ball hearing step 13 which carriesthe weight of the tube and the parts-mounted thereon. This step israised a short distance from the .fioor or base 14 by the collar 15 andin this collar is mounted the guide roll 16 over which A extend througha hole in the tube to pro-. ject out from either sidethereot a distancesufficient to receive the wire reels 19. These reels are preferablformed with a tapered body or Lhub 'portlon 20 and a head 21 1s fixed atone end of the body and a removable head 22 may be secured at theopposite end offthis body portion by a collar 22 and set screw 23 on thecross rod 18 and by tapering the hub or body portion of the reel coilsof wire having diflerent sized center openings may be positioned thewire from whlch to be led therefrom towards the braiding point above.

Above these reels on the tube 11, I have fixed a large drive gear 24 andbetween the arms of this driving gear, as illustrated in Figure 5, Ihave pos tioned guide eyes 25 and above this gear I have inserted a pairof guide eyes 26 through opposite wall portions of the tube 11, as bestshown. in Figure 3 through which the wires 28 from the packages 19 areled; first, through the guide eyes 25 in the gear, then through guideeyes 26 into the tube 11 where they are twisted together and are alsotwisted about the central wire 17 I g Above this wire feed, ,1 havemounted the braiding mechanism 29 on the upper portion of the frame 10and have mounted a take-off sheave 30 above the braiding mechanism overwhich the covered wire is led, the covering being braided onto the.twisted wires 31 at a point intermediate the take ofl' sheave and theupper end 32 of the tube 11.

' This wire after having been braided and covered takes a double turnabout the sheave, as best illustratedin Figure 7, whereby that portionof the wires which engage this sheave are held against twisting therebypermitting the twist to be placed in the wires at a point intermediatethe sheave and the guide eyes 26 where the wires are brought together. a

After passing over the sheave 30, this covered wire is led over thepulleys 33, 34, 35 and 36 down into and through the parafine tank 37which is heated by steam through steam or hot water circulating pipes 38and 39. From this tank the covered wire is laid onto the reel 40 as itpasses through the guide eye 41 by means of a transverse motion (notshown) on the shaft 42, all of Which mechanism is driven in time withthe braiding mechanism from the drive pulle 43.

lBoth the braiding mechanism and the wire twisting mechanism receivetheir motion from the drive pulleys 44 on the shaft 45, from tube forleading a third wire u tube, means for rotating said tu e to twist.

maaoae which shaft motion is transmitted, as shown in Figure '2 throughthe bevel gears 46 to the shaft 47 thence through the worm 48, worm gear49 to the shaft 50 thence through small gears 51 to the shaft 52 andthrough small gears 53 and 54 to the large gear 55 to drive the sheave30; also, from this shaft 47 the gear 24 is driven. Power is transmittedthrough the gears 56 and shaft 57 causing the small gear 58 to drive thelarge gear 24 on the wire conducting'and tw st tube 11.

My improved braiding machine wherein the wire is fed continuously fromwire reels.

and is twisted together, covered and subjected to a paraifine bath and apredetermined length wound on the take-up reel, is very effective in itsoperation and all of these operations are performed in a continuousoperation with but little attention from an operator.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilegeof resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device issusceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the termsof the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. In a braiding machine, a frame, a vertically-disposed rotatable wireconducting tube supported in said frame, means carrie by said tube torsupporting a plurality of wire packages, said tube having openingstherein through which the wires from said packages are led to theinterior of the tube, a take-oil mechanism over which the cover-ed wireis led, means for rotating the tube to twist the wires together thereon,and a braider mechanism supported intermediate the supporting means andthe take-oh for braiding a covering on thetwisted wires.

2. In a braidin machine, a vertically-dis posed rotatable wireconducting tube, means carried by said tube for supporting a pluralityof wire-carrying packages, said tube having openings therein throughwhich the wires from the packages are led to the interior of the tube, atake-oil sheave above the upper end of the tube .over which the wiresare led,

means for rotating the tube to twist the wires thereon, a braidermechanism supported in said sheave, and means connected to the tubedrive for driving the braiding mechanism.

3. In a braiding machine, a wire conducting tube, means forsupportingwire packages on the tube, openings in the tube through whichthe wires are led from said packages into the tube, a guide at the lowerend of the into said all otsaid wires together, a take-0d sheave, abraiding mechanism intermediate the supporting means and said sheavearranged to braid a covering on said twisted wires.

4. In a braiding machine, a wiresconducting tube, means for supportingwire packages on the tube, openings in the tube through which the wiresare led from said packages into the tube, a guide at the lower end ofthe tube for leading a third wire up into said tube, means for rotatingsaid tube to twist all of said wires together, a take-off sheave, abraiding mechanism intermediate the supporting means and said sheavearranged to braid covering on said twisted wires, and means for drivingsaid braiding mechanism at a speed relative to the twistlng speed of thetube.

5. In a braiding machine, a frame, a vertically-disposed wire conductingtube supported in said frame, a transverse bar carried by said tube forsupporting a plurality of wire packages, said tube having openingstherein above the package support through which wires from the packagesare led to the interior thereof, a drive gear fixed to said tubeintermediate said package support and said openings, guide eyes in saidgear through which the wires are led from the package, means for drivingsaid gear to rotate the tube and twist the wires therein, a take-ofi'sheave over which the twisted wires are led, a braiding mechanismmounted on said frame above the supporting means and arranged to braid acovering on the twisted Wires at a point between the upper end of saidtube and said take-01f sheave, and means connecting the drive of saidtake off sheave to that of said wire twisting tube.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature.

STEPHEN W. BOURN'

